The 15% max reimbursement tip

I know everyone has their own views about tipping, but I struggle with the 15% max tip on reimbursement only shops. (I'm looking at you Mercantile.) Having dated a former server for a long time, it was impressed upon me that 20% should be a standard tip for good service. If I'm on a shop and the server is outstanding, I don't think it's fair to penalize them just because the MSC or the client has set this 15% rule up. But I also don't think I should have to make up the difference out my own pocket. What I've usually done is split the difference and left an 18% tip and felt bad about it both because it's less than I would have tipped in real life and I'm losing money on the shop. I'm slightly out of pocket that way, but I don't feel like quite as big of a cheapskate. What do the .rest of you do?

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If I feel someone is worthy of more than the max reimbursed tip amount, I will pay it. If they did a good job and I had a great experience, does it matter if it's not fully-reimbursed? Would you rather have a crappier experience so that you don't have to exceed the 15% that is reimbursed?

I find that I get less than stellar service most of the time and that the required minimum tip amount exceeds the service I received (some are 18% to 20%). So even though it doesn't cost me anything to give them more since it's mandatory and reimbursed, but they truly don't deserve to be rewarded with subpar service either.
@DRJ wrote:

I know everyone has their own views about tipping, but I struggle with the 15% max tip on reimbursement only shops. (I'm looking at you Mercantile.) Having dated a former server for a long time, it was impressed upon me that 20% should be a standard tip for good service. If I'm on a shop and the server is outstanding, I don't think it's fair to penalize them just because the MSC or the client has set this 15% rule up. But I also don't think I should have to make up the difference out my own pocket. What I've usually done is split the difference and left an 18% tip and felt bad about it both because it's less than I would have tipped in real life and I'm losing money on the shop. I'm slightly out of pocket that way, but I don't feel like quite as big of a cheapskate. What do the .rest of you do?

This is one of many reasons I do not perform reimbursement only shops. I find the guidelines for drive-in fast food shops comically ridiculous because they state that tipping is not part of the restaurant's concept. Why do they ask if I want to include a tip on the screen and in the app if tipping is not part of the restaurant's concept? My solution is to ask for a higher rate or pass on the shop, because I'm going to at least leave a buck or two for someone walking the order to my car.
I got a haircut yesterday and tipped the barber 40%. People work hard in the service industry, and I'll be wearing this guy's work on my head for at least 2 weeks. If it had not been a great haircut, but still acceptable, I would have tipped around 15-20%. I generally try to tip at least 25% at restaurants unless the service is subpar - I will go down to 15% for bad service and 10% for terrible service. Everyone is different and someone will say I'm ridiculous, but I could not care less. I worked with the public too long and still do once in a while - I know what service workers go through.

ps... that bad feeling you mentioned is your conscience - I know from prior experience! winking smiley
I have included objections in some of my reports for Mercantile. I tip regardless of the reimbursement.

I have had editors scold me for leaving tips that they felt were too big and it was not like I left ridiculously large tips. The feedback was I was making myself memorable.

Some MSCs do not reimburse for tips when it is customary to tip, such as pizza delivery shops and valet parking shops. Others, like Mercantile, place unreasonable limits on tips. Placing a tip limit of $1 or $2 on a valet parking shop when the flat parking fee is $30 or more? Give me a break!

I am in California and restaurant servers here earn at least minimum wage. I am extra disgusted by MSCs that do not reimburse or under-reimburse for tips in states where servers earn much less than minimum wage.

Many restaurant checks list the dollar amounts for tips at certain percentages, such as 18%, 20%, 22%, and 24%. Most checks I see don't even list 15%.
I will tip over reimbursement if the service merits it.

Yes it eats into my profit on the shop, but I've found that filling out a shop report where the service is excellent is a lot less time intensive than filling out a shop report where the service stunk.
I always leave the maximum tip that the client wants and reimburses. That is 20% in most cases.
I put the "required" tip on my card so the receipt shows it.

I leave extra as cash. If merited. It absolutely depends on the MSC whether I mention leaving additional as cash tip.

On those shops where I know the tip won't be reimbursed, I tip anyway. I don't mention it on the report, because that's not one of the questions asked.
To tip or not to tip that is the question.

Personally, on shops I tip what is appropriate regardless of what the max reimbursement for tip is. What I don't like is a mandatory tip %. If I had terrible service, why must I reward it by tipping more than deserved. I try to avoid such shops with a required tip %. If I do take one and get terrible service, I will do as required to be paid for the shop but won't do the shop again.

Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
If I get terrible service and yet am required to leave a bigger tip than I feel is warranted it seems it all evens out in the end and more once the management reads my report. I have also left larger tips than what was expected by the msc and if I was still under the reimbursement max I have gotten full reimbursement. I guess it depends on the msc.
there is one msc that shops very high end hotels… and they are very stingy with tips. i sometimes tip out of my own pocket when i do shops for them and calculate it as a reduced fee
@ceasesmith wrote:

I put the "required" tip on my card so the receipt shows it.

I leave extra as cash. If merited. It absolutely depends on the MSC whether I mention leaving additional as cash tip.

On those shops where I know the tip won't be reimbursed, I tip anyway. I don't mention it on the report, because that's not one of the questions asked.

This, yes! I would also keep it in mind when deciding whether or not I actually want the shop. If there is a good bonus, that helps make up the extra expenditure. If not, maybe I just don't want to pay anything out of pocket to eat there so I forego the shop. I can cook an egg sandwich or hot dog at home quite cheaply.
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